The season in Wales is over – goodbyepublished 18:56 BST 18 July
FT: South Africa – Wales 43–0
Image Source, Getty Images
So Wales end their first season under Steve Tandy with another defeat, their ninth in 12 Tests.
It was an expected loss to South Africa and to be competitive in Durban would have been a success considering it was the number one ranked team in the world against the 12th.
In truth, there were none as the world champions scored nil for the second time this season.
Before the start of the match, bookmakers gave Tandy’s players a 42-point handicap handicap, and this turned out to be a good forecast.
Wales showed fight and spirit, but only a Springboks miscue brought the score down.
The world champions still have plenty of tests to overcome and will face a very different game against New Zealand in the coming months.
Dewi Lake & Co know the gap between the top Test teams remains huge despite some improvements made in 2025-26.
Can Wales close the gap when the Nations Championship returns in November? Japan is a must-win, followed by matches against New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff.
The long season is coming to an end with Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets already back in training ahead of the 2026-27 season.
See you in September at the UK Rugby Championship!